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Coroner Michael Rose said: ‘The cause of death was multiple organ failure due to poisoning by the death cap mushroom.

‘She was admitted to hospital on the 18th of November and died on the 19th.’

The last recorded British fatality caused by a death cap mushroom was in 2008.

The death cap mushroom – Amanita phalloides – is responsible for the majority of deaths from accidental mushroom poisoning because of its similar appearance to safe varieties.

Just one stem is considered enough to kill an adult.

FACT FILE

The death cap is the most dangerous mushroom, responsible for 95 per cent of all deaths from mushroom poisoning worldwide

The deaths of Roman Emperor Claudius in 54AD and Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI in 1740 are said to have been caused by eating death caps

Patients die from organ failure within a few days unless they have a kidney and liver transplant

Death caps are common across Europe and contain about 20 different poisons

The strength of the main poison, alpha-Amanitin, is not reduced by freezing or cooking

Often found in the autumn near oak trees, the death cap is a large mushroom with white gills and a cup-shaped sack around the base of the stem.

They are said to taste pleasant and smell faintly of roses.

But symptoms do not start to appear for up to 16 hours after consumption.

The ensuing stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea can then ease, leading the victim to believe a recovery is underway.

But the toxins continue to attack the body and death from liver or kidney failure typically occurs six to 16 days after consumption.

Last year the National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) said there were 257 cases of poisoning linked to eating mushrooms.

Dr John Thompson, of the NPIS, said: ‘While many mushrooms growing in the wild are tasty and safe to eat, it is not always easy to differentiate between toxic and non-toxic species – even for people with experience in foraging.’

He added that people should not eat mushrooms collected in the wild unless they are familiar with UK species and are sure the mushrooms they have collected are safe to eat.